Coverage of the Frisco RoughRiders from the corner of Hicks & Diamond Drive

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

This is my first season in Minor League Baseball. Do they all end like this? An entertaining 6-5 game on Saturday looked positively bland after a 12-9 barn-burner on Sunday that ended…twice. Click here to read the full game recap.

The ‘Riders led 12-4 when Kent Matthes bounced a ball to the left side of the infield with the bases loaded and two out. Third baseman Joey Gallo dove to his left and smothered the ball. He then jumped to his feet and rifled a high throw to Trever Adams at first. Adams leapt to make the catch and attempted to tag the bag and simultaneously swipe Matthes as he raced down the line. First base umpire Ramon Hernandez paused, pointed at the bag and punched out Matthes to end the ballgame. The ‘Riders emptied the dugout and high-fived at the mound, the customary process for a winning team.

All the while, RockHounds’ field manager Aaron Nieckula barked at Hernandez and the three-man umpire crew outside the first base dugout. The umpires conferenced, during which time crew chief Brett Terry overruled Hernandez. If an umpire admittedly needs assistance on a call, he can ask his fellow crewmen to make a ruling. However, Hernandez made his call unambiguously and it was against protocol for the crew chief to overstep the call made on the field. However, Terry did just that and jogged over to the RoughRiders’ dugout where Jason Wood was gathering his equipment before the trek back to the clubhouse. Terry explained to an incredulous Wood that the call on the field had been reversed, that Matthes was safe at first, a run had scored and the game would continue. Wood was tossed from the game. He had every reason to pull a Joe Mikulik, but things never escalated quite that far.

Instead, after a 17-minute moratorium, play resumed with the score 12-5. The game nearly spiraled away from the RoughRiders as the Hounds scored four more runs with their second life and made the score 12-9 with two men aboard before Hiro Nakajima, batting for the second time in the inning, popped out to end the game…again.

J.T. maintained his torrid stretch at the plate. He didn’t just homer for the fourth night in-a-row; he went deep twice in the same game. In the 138th game of the season, J.T. became the first RoughRider this season to hit two home runs in one game. He cranked the third grand slam of the year for Frisco as well. The four-run home run gave the ‘Riders a 6-2 lead in the first inning. Both blasts went out to left. One clanked off the WinStar Diamond Deck and the other cleared it entirely. A majority of J.T.’s 11 homers this year have gone out to the Diamond Deck in the left field corner. He has claimed that part of the park as his own this summer.

In case you missed it:

-Honorable mention goes to Patrick Cantwell, who was not retired on Sunday. He finished a home run shy of the cycle and batted 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Not surprisingly, Pat was also hit by a pitch twice to up his total to 22, the most in the Texas League.

-The RoughRiders scored six runs in the first inning for the second time this season against Midland (May 6).

-Midland scored six runs in the ninth inning. The ‘Riders had scored a run on a towering home run by Jake Skole in the seventh and tacked on two more with a Patrick Cantwell RBI single in the eighth. The scores seemed meaningless at the time, turning a 9-3 game into a 12-3 blowout, but they proved essential in the staving off what would nearly became another nine-run rally for a RoughRiders’ opponent (July 18).

-Saturday’s 6-5 win for Midland lasted a season-long (for a nine-inning game) three hours and 37 minutes, a record that stood for one game. Sunday’s affair lasted three hours and 48 innings.

-Every RoughRider reached base on Sunday.

-The RoughRiders batted around in the first inning and sent 12 men to the plate. After two innings, every hitter in the order had two plate appearances.

-Midland starting pitcher Murphy Smith did not survive the first inning.

-Gallo: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO

Joey drove in a run on a bases-loaded walk for the second straight night.

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (20)

2. Trever Adams (14)

3. J.T. Wise (11)

4. Jake Skole (6)

5. Jorge Alfaro (4)

6. Teodoro Martinez (3)

7. Odubel Herrera (2)

7. Nomar Mazara (2)

9. Patrick Cantwell (1)

9. Hanser Alberto (1)

Field manager Jason Wood talks about his approach as skipper to the final regular season series of the year:

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

The RoughRiders played their longest nine-inning game of the season on Saturday night, a three-hour and 37-minute affair that ended in favor of Midland. Click here to read the full game recap.

Frisco erased two deficits, but never led in the contest. The ‘Riders fell behind 4-0 in the second inning, and the game seemed in danger of slipping away when the the horsemen rallied to even the score in the fifth. Trever Adams tied the game at 5-5 with a solo home run in the seventh. A sacrifice fly from Hiro Nakajima, who had two RBI and a home run last night, proved the decisive score in the top of the ninth.

In an effort to preserve the arms of their starting pitchers, the ‘Riders relied exclusively on the bullpen and started Kyle Lotzkar on Saturday. Lotzkar has been vastly improved in the second half of the season, but reverted back to his first-half character (when, perhaps not coincidentally, he made seven starts) and could not survive the second inning.

Joseph Ortiz and Will Lamb each allowed go-ahead runs to Midland after the offense had battled to tie the score. The ‘pen never let the game get out of hand, but could not quell the RockHounds’ attack long enough for the bats to take the lead.

What does it all mean? Midland now owns a one game lead in the second-half standings, and the ‘Riders need to win the final two games of the regular season in order to take the second-half crown and secure home field advantage against the Hounds in the playoffs.

Another great night for J.T., who homered for the third night in-a-row to get the ‘Riders on the board in the fourth. He tied the game one inning later on a two-RBI single to center.

In case you missed it:

-The RoughRiders have been striking out in droves. They went down on the K-ball 10 times on Saturday after averaging just under 11 strikeouts/game on their seven-game road trip.

-Teodoro Martinez was the only ‘Rider to not reach base.

-Hanser Alberto batted 0-for-4 and saw his 13-game hitting streak come to an end. He did reach base on an error in the sixth.

-Gallo: 0-for-4, RBI, BB, SO

Joey launched a deep fly ball to right-center in the seventh but Kent Matthes caught up to it in time. He drew a five-pitch walk with the bases loaded in the fifth to pick up his 52nd RBI as a RoughRider.

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (20)

2. Trever Adams (14)

3. J.T. Wise (9)

4. Jake Skole (5)

5. Jorge Alfaro (4)

6. Teodoro Martinez (3)

7. Odubel Herrera (2)

7. Nomar Mazara (2)

9. Patrick Cantwell (1)

9. Hanser Alberto (1)

Nick Williams is one of three RoughRiders named to the 2014 Carolina League Post-Season All-Star team. He talks about the accolades he’s reeled in this season, including an invitation to play in the Arizona Fall League:

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

The ‘Riders dropped the series finale with Corpus Christi on Friday night. Midland knocked off San Antonio and arrives at Dr Pepper Ballpark 2 1/2 games behind the RoughRiders for the best record in the Texas League with three to play. Click here to read Friday’s game recap.

Frisco and Midland now have identical second-half records heading into the final series of the regular season. The math is obvious. Whoever wins this series will finish with the best second-half record in the South Division. This is important because the second-half winner is awarded home field advantage in the division championship series. For the RoughRiders, a series win guarantees a decisive game five in the South Division Championship Series will be played at Dr Pepper Ballpark against Midland.

Even if the RoughRiders lose 2-of-3 and finish with a better overall record than the RockHounds, Midland would still receive game five at their ballpark as second-half champs. So, buckle up. There’s a lot at stake as the regular season concludes.

The cogs started to turn for J.T. on the road trip, in particular against Corpus Christi. The backstop belted home runs in the final two games of the series and now has eight since joining the squad in mid-July.

In case you missed it:

-The RoughRiders have been striking out in droves. They went down on the K-ball 15 times on Friday and 50 times in the four-game series.

-Mike Hauschild devastated the ‘Riders on Friday and picked up eight strikeouts in four innings en route to his first save with the Hooks this season.

-For just the 13th time this season, the ‘Riders outhit their opponent, but lost the game.

-Nick Williams was the only ‘Rider to not reach base.

-Hanser Alberto extended his hitting streak to 13 with a single in the fourth. He finished 2-for-3 at the plate and tied his season-high with hits in 13 straight games.

-Frisco finished the seven-game road swing with a 4-3 record. The ‘Riders also finished their regular season road slate with a 39-30 record and posted an 18-14 record against the Hooks in 2014.

-Gallo: DNP

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (20)

2. Trever Adams (13)

3. J.T. Wise (8)

4. Jake Skole (5)

5. Jorge Alfaro (4)

6. Teodoro Martinez (3)

7. Odubel Herrera (2)

7. Nomar Mazara (2)

9. Patrick Cantwell (1)

9. Hanser Alberto (1)

The Texas League Post-Season All-Star talks about his leadership role in the clubhouse and the club’s recent downturn at the plate:

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

In accordance with their recent modus operandi, the ‘Riders scored all their runs (a lot of them) in a single inning and guaranteed themselves a winning record on the seven-game road trip. Click here to read the full game recap.

The ‘Riders have contained all of their runs to one inning three times in the last six games. On August 23, Frisco posted a four-run eighth inning to knock off Midland 4-3. The following night, the RoughRiders followed the same script and scored five runs in the fifth as part of 5-2 defeat of Midland.

This one was tough given all the offensive accolades in the seventh inning. But Jorge’s fourth Double-A long ball gave the ‘Riders their first lead of the night and snapped a nasty 0-for-15 start to the road trip for the Colombian backstop.

In case you missed it:

-As hinted above, several other RoughRiders turned in strong nights at the dish, including:

Odubel Herrera: 3-for-5, R, 2B, RBI, 2 SO

J.T. Wise: 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 SO

Nomar Mazara: 2-for-3, R, RBI, 2 HBP

-Mazara’s RBI single in the seventh got the ‘Riders on the board and was the team’s first run scored against a starting pitcher in 39 innings.

-The ‘Riders sent 12 men to the plate in the seventh inning and scored eight runs on eight hits. Mazara and Wise each registered multiple hits in the frame.

-Every RoughRider tallied a base hit.

-Corpus Christi left 13 men on base and outhit the ‘Riders 9-7.

-The eight runs in a single inning is a season-high for the RoughRiders.

-Hanser Alberto extended his hitting streak to 12 with an infield single in the fifth. He season-high is 13 straight games with a hit, which he set with Myrtle Beach.

-The ‘Riders have now won 78 games this season, which is a high-water mark in the managerial career of Jason Wood. The RoughRiders’ skipper had previously never won more than 77 games in a single season at the helm of a team. Frisco’s 5-4 win over Corpus Christi on Wednesday was also the 300th regular-season victory for Wood as a manger.

-Corpus Christi reliever David Rollins was one pitch away from an immaculate inning (nine pitches, three strikeouts) in the top of the ninth on Thursday. His 0-2 pitch with two outs plunked Mazara to end the possibility.

-Gallo watch: 1-for-3, R, IBB, HBP, 2 SO

Joey has now drawn four intentional walks with the RoughRiders, the most on the team.

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (20)

2. Trever Adams (13)

3. J.T. Wise (7)

4. Jake Skole (5)

5. Jorge Alfaro (4)

6. Teodoro Martinez (3)

7. Odubel Herrera (2)

7. Nomar Mazara (2)

9. Patrick Cantwell (1)

9. Hanser Alberto (1)

Pitching coach Jeff Andrews, the 2014 Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year in the Texas League, unveils the starting rotation for the ‘Riders in the playoffs.:

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

Yes, I know a nine-inning baseball game is not bisected into halves (but give me a break, college football starts this weekend!). But Frisco’s 5-4 win over Corpus Christi in 11 innings on Wednesday read like a story with a part one and a part two. Click here to read Monday’s game recap.

Once again, the ‘Riders made a starting pitcher look like a minor league Cy Young. Last night, it was Jordan Jankowski, who allowed one hit and struck out ten in six innings. The streak of consecutive innings without a run scored against a starting arm is still active and stands at 33 straight frames going into Thursday’s action. The offensive slump sunk to further depths in the first half of Wednesday’s game as well. When the ‘Riders finally scored in the seventh inning (via a bases-loaded walk) it broke a streak of 28 innings without an earned run.

But after halftime (represented by a Corpus Christi pitching change), the ‘Riders came out of the locker room with a second wind. They scored three runs in the seventh. With one out in the top of the ninth, Joey Gallo delivered another clutch home run to send the game to the bottom of the ninth. The ‘Riders capitalized on two Telvin Nash blunders in the 11th to score the go-ahead run in extras. And Ryan Rodebaugh submitted his best outing of the season, tossing two scoreless innings to preserve the tie and protect the win. There’s no question the ‘Riders are batting at low tide right now, but they keep finding ways to eke out wins in tight situations.

Joey had three RBI on the night, but he didn’t get ‘em all at once. He worked a walk with the bases loaded to put the ‘Riders on the board for the first time. He belted his 20th home run in the Texas League in the top of the ninth inning to up his season total to 41. Watch the video of the home run and the pitch from Mitchell Lambson was, unsurprisingly, right in Joey’s sweet spot (down and in). He produced a productive out in the 11th to drive in Patrick Cantwell for the second time in the game and give the ‘Riders a 5-4 lead. And, Joey did it all without a strikeout.

In case you missed it:

-Honorable mention goes to Ryan Rodebaugh, who tossed two innings in extras and allowed just one hit with one strikeout. He faced one above the minimum and produced his own win to move to 3-0 on the season.

-Will Lamb continues to provide thrills on the mound. In the bottom of the ninth, he issued three walks (one intentional) with the score tied at four, but managed to strike out Teoscar Hernandez looking at a fastball to end the inning and usher the game into extras.

-The RoughRiders scored five unanswered runs to cap the win.

-Corpus Christi left 13 men on base and outhit the ‘Riders 9-7.

-Hanser Alberto extended his hitting streak to 11 with his two-RBI single in the seventh inning.

-The ‘Riders clinched the season series against Corpus Christi and lead the Hooks 17-13 with two games remaining between the two sides in 2014.

-Gallo watch: See Above

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (20)

2. Trever Adams (13)

3. J.T. Wise (6)

4. Jake Skole (5)

5. Teodoro Martinez (3)

5. Jorge Alfaro (3)

7. Odubel Herrera (2)

7. Nomar Mazara (2)

9. Patrick Cantwell (1)

9. Hanser Alberto (1)

With Guilder Rodriguez serving as translator, Francisco Mendoza joins the Pregame Show and talks about his pitching style and an accident that nearly cost him his baseball career:

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

Fans of defense were treated to a classic last night. 2013 first overall choice Mark Appel looked every bit the part on Tuesday as he cranked out his most impressive outing as a member of the Astros organization. Click here to read Monday’s game recap.

Appel was transcendent, but Jake was pretty darn good, too. The righty kept the ‘Riders in position to win the game and fortunately avoided a loss on his record. His ERA with Frisco now sits at 2.93.

In case you missed it:

-The bus-lagged RoughRiders turned in another sleepy offensive performance and registered just two hits and a total of five baserunners (three in the ninth).

-The ‘Riders have not scored against an opponent’s starting pitcher on this road trip (four games), a period of 27 innings.

-Hanser Alberto chased Appel from the game in the ninth inning when he led off the frame with a double. It extended Hanser’s hit streak to ten straight.

-Trever Adams went hitless in four at-bats and has gone consecutive games without a base knock for the first time in the second half.

-Gallo watch: 0-for-3, SO

Four batters in the lineup struck out multiple times on Tuesday. Joey was not a part of that club.

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (19)

2. Trever Adams (13)

3. J.T. Wise (6)

4. Jake Skole (5)

5. Teodoro Martinez (3)

5. Jorge Alfaro (3)

7. Odubel Herrera (2)

7. Nomar Mazara (2)

9. Patrick Cantwell (1)

9. Hanser Alberto (1)

Southpaw Joseph Ortiz chats about his recovery from a freak accident in the offseason and the joys of being a father for the first time. He also reflects on his season with the Rangers in 2013 and how he told his family of his promotion to the major leagues:

The RoughRiders conclude their 2014 season at home with a three-game series against the Midland RockHounds this weekend at Dr Pepper Ballpark, and will then face off against the ‘Hounds in the first round of post-season play. Frisco took the Texas League by storm in the first-half by cruising to a 40-29 record and secured the club’s playoff spot with Midland on their heels at 38-32, only a 2.5 game difference. The second-half followed a similar path as the two teams were tied in the standings with only six games left to play. We know the winner of the second-half will earn game five of the playoff series, should it be necessary, so both teams have something to play as the curtain falls on the 2014 regular season.

The season series has been a close one with the RoughRiders out in front 14-11 and it was a trend that began in the second series between the two teams, which took place May 12-15 in Midland. The series could have looked much different, however, as the final three games of the four-game set were decided by one run.

A big split on the road.

The ‘Riders took game one of the set 8-4, but game two was a gritty 5-4 win with Frisco putting up crooked numbers in the run column in the fifth and sixth innings. Trever Adams went 1-for-5 with two RBI and Kyle Lotzkar struck out six over three innings pitched. The RockHounds, however, took the final two games of the series with 7-6 and 11-10 close wins. Had the ‘Riders scrounged up a few more runs in those final two games they could have earned a tough series sweep.

The debut of Joey Gallo.

Joey Gallo impressing during his 2014 Double-A campaign.

Frisco got out to a fast start with a four-run first inning and rode the back of Luke Jackson, who struck out nine batters over 5 1/3 innings pitched, but Midland fired back by scoring runs in the fifth and sixth to tie the contest. Neither team could score until Joey Gallo stepped up with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth. The tall lefty took Seth Frankoff deep to left-center in his first game with the ‘Riders to put an end to a two-game losing streak and give Frisco a 7-4 victory. Gallo accounted for four of his club’s seven runs scored in the contest and went 1-for-5.

Midland runs Frisco out of town by taking 3/4 (game four postponed due to rain).

The RockHounds were on fire in June (13-7 record) and a few of those wins came against Frisco at the friendly confines of Security Bank Ballpark. Midland woke up Alex “Chi Chi” Gonzalez in the first game of the four-game series at tattooed him with five hits and two runs over his first 2 2/3 innings pitched. Nate Long allowed only three runs on four hits over his six innings of work and Midland won 8-3.

The good vibes rolled for the ‘Hounds in game two as they blanked Frisco 3-0 behind Chris Jensen (two hits and five strikeouts over seven innings pitched) and Anthony Aliotti (3-for-4, one run and two RBI), and Midland took game three with a 5-2 win. The RockHounds looked to sweep the series, but perhaps Frisco ran into some luck when thunderstorms postponed the fourth game of the series.

Frisco takes 3/4 with double-header split.

J.T. Wise batting at home against the San Antonio Missions.

The ‘Riders once again took to the road and arrived in Midland for a four-game set, with a scheduled double-header on July 22, and Frisco took three of the four games to help their cause in the race for the second-half. Frisco won the first game 6-1 behind Alec Asher who allowed one run over 7 1/3 innings and a four-run seventh frame, and the teams split the double-header the next day. The ‘Hounds scored two runs in the sixth inning of the first seven-inning game to win 7-6, but J.T. Wise went 4-for-4 with three runs scored in the second game to split the twin bill. The RoughRiders took the final game of the set with a 5-3 win to provide for a big win in the playoff race.

Road-trippin’ RoughRiders take 2/3 on road for late season push.

Frisco hit the road for the last road trip of the year, a seven-gamer with three against Midland and four against the San Antonio Misisons, and the ‘Riders answered the bell with the late-season test against the RockHounds. Frisco took the first two games of the series with 4-3 and 5-2 wins, which went a long way in their fight to win the second-half of the Texas League South.

The RoughRiders begin their final series of the regular season on Saturday against the Midland RockHounds at 7:05 at Dr Pepper Ballpark. It’s becoming quite likely that the winner of the series will win the second-half and be awarded a potential game five at home to complete the best-of-five divisional series. The RoughRiders will host games one and two of the series on August 3rd and 4th so stay tuned to the ‘Riders Insider Blog and www.ridersbaseball.com for the latest news on pitching match-ups for the series and all of the latest RoughRiders’ news.

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

It’s official. The RoughRiders and RockHounds will square off the first week of September in the Texas League South Division Championship Series. Midland’s first playoff berth since 2010 was clinched on Monday because of two outcomes: 1) Midland knocked off Frisco 5-1 AND 2) San Antonio lost in spectacular fashion to Corpus Christi by a final score of 23-7. Yes, 23-7. The Hooks scored 12 runs and sent 16 men to the plate in the 5th inning alone.

The Missions and the Hooks are now mathematically eliminated, which means the ‘Riders and Hounds will spend the rest of the regular season in a battle for home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Going into Tuesday’s action, Frisco holds a one game lead over Midland for the division lead in the second half and owns a 3 1/2 game edge in the overall standings. Click here to read Monday’s game recap.

Hanser registered one of the RoughRiders’ three hits in the game and extended his hitting streak to nine straight.

In case you missed it:

-The RoughRiders scored their only run in unearned fashion. Guilder Rodriguez reached second base on an error by second baseman Conner Crumbliss, and took third on a wild pitch. Odubel Herrera picked up the lone RBI of the game for the ‘Riders when he scored G-Rod on a groundout.

-Frisco did not score a run against a Midland starting pitcher in the series. Of the 27 innings in the series, the ‘Riders scored in three.

-Had Frisco swept Midland, it would have been the ‘Riders first sweep of the Hounds since May 2011 and their first sweep in Midland since 2007.

-The ‘Riders did not hit a home run in the series and last went yard in the first inning of a 5-4 win against San Antonio on August 19 (Trever Adams).

-Gallo watch: DNP

On his Pregame Show interview a few Sundays ago, Jason Wood revealed his plan to rest certain players in anticipation of the playoffs. True to his word, Joey has been given a few extra off days lately, which will hopefully pay dividends in September.

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (19)

2. Trever Adams (13)

3. Drew Robinson (11)

4. J.T. Wise (6)

5. Jake Skole (5)

6. Teodoro Martinez (3)

6. Jorge Alfaro (3)

8. Odubel Herrera (2)

8. Nomar Mazara (2)

11. Patrick Cantwell (1)

11. Hanser Alberto (1)

After a slow start, Hanser Alberto has been on a role at the plate for the RoughRiders. He continues his trend of stellar defensive play at short as well:

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

Another big inning for the RoughRiders spelled another victory in Midland where the ‘Riders are 5-1 in the second half. Frisco has contained all its runs in this series to just two innings, but they’ve been highly productive. Good pitching never hurts, either, and the RoughRiders’ arms have kept a potent Midland attack mostly under wraps through the first two-thirds of the set. Click here to read the game recap.

Eick hit the double-digit win mark with his third straight outing of seven innings on the hill. Lauded by his coaches for his dedicated work ethic, Jerad sent his season ERA south to 3.96, the lowest mark since after his second outing of the season on April 14.

In case you missed it:

-The RoughRiders scored five runs on five hits in the fifth inning. They sent nine men to the plate.

-Patrick Cantwell scored the fifth run for the ‘Riders on a delayed double steal from third base. It was the first stolen base of the season for Cantwell. The ‘Riders swiped three bags in the game.

-Wise, Alberto, Cantwell and Nick Williams all had multiple hits for the ‘Riders.

-Gallo watch: 0-for-4, 3 SO

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (19)

2. Trever Adams (13)

3. Drew Robinson (11)

4. J.T. Wise (6)

5. Jake Skole (5)

6. Teodoro Martinez (3)

6. Jorge Alfaro (3)

8. Odubel Herrera (2)

8. Nomar Mazara (2)

11. Patrick Cantwell (1)

11. Hanser Alberto (1)

The starting pitching staff has been the backbone of the team’s sustained success this season. After a bumpy homestand against San Antonio, field manager Jason Wood comments on the state of the rotation in the latest “Sunday with the Skipper” conversation:

Miss the last RoughRiders game? Catch up on the action or relive the highlights with ‘Riders Rewind, a daily capsule of yesterday’s big moments. Listen to previous editions of ‘Riders Rewind here.

When you’ve seen 130 games of baseball over the course of a summer, you develop a sixth sense for the game’s eventual outcome. Or think you do anyway. Sometimes, the trajectory of game shifts course suddenly and that is exactly what happened on Saturday night. The ‘Riders sprung four runs on the RockHounds in the eighth and reversed the flow of the night for their third straight win at Security Bank Ballpark. Click here to read the game recap.

Star of the Game: CF Jake Skole – 2/4, 2B, 3 RBI

Jake turned in one of his finest at-bats of the season to give the ‘Riders their eighth-inning lead. Working against Midland’s closer, Jose Flores, Skole sent an 0-2 pitch with the bases loaded over the head of center fielder D’Arby Myers to wipe the bags clean and put the RoughRiders atop 4-3.

In case you missed it:

-All three runs that scored on the Skole double were unearned because of a two-out error on Midland shortstop Dusty Coleman. Coleman botched a groundball from Joey Gallo, who reached to keep the inning alive. The RockHounds’ infield, per usual against Gallo, shifted to put three infielders on the right side of second base. Thus, Coleman fielded the Gallo grounder in a different position than normal.

-Tip of the cap also goes to Francisco Mendoza. The right-hander has made more appearances on the hill than anyone else on the RoughRiders’ staff and earned his fourth win of the season on Saturday. In one of his finer performances, Mendoza pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and protected the tenuous 4-3 lead. He allowed just one hit on a leadoff single in the eighth inning.

-Trever Adams picked up his 35th double of the season, a career high and good for second in the Texas League.

-The RoughRiders won for the fourth time this season when trailing after seven innings.

-Midland’s Jose Flores blew his first save of the season with the RockHounds.

-Gallo watch: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB, ROE

The RockHounds wanted nothing to do with Gallo in the early stages of the game and he drew a pair of walks in each of his first two plate appearances. He scored the tying run in the eighth after initially reaching on an error.

-A look at the RoughRiders home run leader board (current players only):

1. Joey Gallo (19)

2. Trever Adams (13)

3. Drew Robinson (11)

4. J.T. Wise (6)

5. Jake Skole (5)

6. Teodoro Martinez (3)

6. Jorge Alfaro (3)

8. Odubel Herrera (2)

8. Nomar Mazara (2)

11. Patrick Cantwell (1)

11. Hanser Alberto (1)

Newcomer Josh McElwee makes his debut on the ‘Riders Pregame Show and talks about his season and his first two mound outings at the Double-A level:

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